FAQs

Here you can find answers to some of the frequently asked questions about the RAF Sports Lottery game.

If your query cannot be answered by the FAQs below, then please get in touch.

FAQs

What is the RAF sports lottery?

The RAF Sports Lottery is a weekly lottery draw where players who have bought a ticket are given the chance to win up to £10,000 from a total weekly cash prize fund of £25,000. The profits raised by the RAF Sports Lottery are used to support the charitable work of the RAF Central Fund with one of their primary objectives, to encourage, support and facilitate the development of sport in the RAF. We seek to principally achieve this objective through the promotion of the physical wellbeing and personal development of RAF personnel through their participation in sporting activities and endeavours.

What can I win?

Every week, there are 10 cash prizes on offer which total £25,000: Top Prize £10,000, 2nd Prize £5,000, 3rd Prize £3,000, and 7 prizes of £1,000.

How will I know if I win a prize?

The draw takes place each Friday. Once the draw has taken place, winners are notified by phone and then confirmed by email, and the winners’ names and winning lottery numbers are published on our website, on our smartphone app and in the RAF News. We will only ever notify the winner themselves and will not leave messages with anyone else, including your work colleagues or family regarding a lottery win.

How do I claim my prize?

If you are a winner, we will contact you directly to arrange payment of your winnings. For winners who pay to play by Direct Debit we will seek to make payment of your winnings by direct credit to your bank account details used for your Direct Debit payments. This allows us to ensure your winnings are quickly and securely received, however if you would prefer payment to be made via another method then please advise us following notification of your win.

Who can play?

Anyone who is currently serving in the RAF or who has, at any time, served in the RAF can play the RAF Sports Lottery. Unfortunately we are currently unable to accept individuals from University Air Squadron, Air Cadets (Air Training Corp or Combined Cadet Force) or Civil Servants for play.

How much are tickets?

Each ticket costs £1 per week.

How many lottery tickets can I buy?

You can purchase from 1 to a maximum of 5 tickets for each weekly draw.

How do I buy tickets?

You can buy your lottery tickets through our website and smartphone app. You can pay by Direct Debit, credit card or debit card.

How long can I play for?

Following successful registration for play you will continue to be entered into the draw as long as you have monies available against your number(s). Remember that the RAF Sports Lottery is open to all serving and retired members of the RAF, so continue to play to make sure you’re in with a chance to win £25,000 worth of prizes each week.

How do I know that I’m in the draw?

Within 21 days of registration you will receive a confirmation email which contains details of your unique lottery number(s) and the date of the first draw your tickets are entered into. You will be entered into the draw when you have monies available and you will continue to be entered into the draw as long as you have monies available against your lottery number.

Why is there a delay between registration and entry into the draw?

Following registration it is necessary to complete a number of administrative processes which include verifying your payment details with your bank, claiming the funds from your bank account and the funds being received.

Why when I sign up for a monthly direct debit why is my initial payment higher than the future monthly payments?

When you first join the game, to ensure you have enough money in your player account to enter each draw we need to take a slightly higher than normal first payment. This higher payment is needed to provide sufficient credit in your account to cover the first 5 week months of play that occur immediately following your joining the game.

For example, if you joined the game in March 2018 with 1 ticket a week in play, the normal direct debit amount of £4.34 would not provide sufficient credit for your ticket to be included in the 5 weekly draws in March 2018.

Each subsequent Direct Debit is lower but will also ensure that you will always have sufficient credit to cover calendar months in which there are 5 draws (see FAQ below for further information).

Why is the price £4.34 per month when paying for 1 ticket a week by direct debit?

£4.34 might appear to be a strange amount to pay. However, that is what £52 (52 weeks of play x £1 lottery ticket) equals when it is divided by 12. In other words, your normal monthly payment is based on paying £1 per entry per week over a 52 week year. In some calendar months there will be four draws and in other calendar months there will be five draws depending on how each week falls within the relevant month. By paying £4.34 per month you will ensure that there is sufficient credit in your account to enter every draw whether there are four or five draws in that calendar month. If you cancel your Direct Debit, any credit in your account will be entered into future draws in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Lottery.

Why am I referred to another site when making a payment?

In order to ensure the accessibility, usability and security of our payments process we use a payments management system provided by our external Lottery Manager.

Can I choose my lottery number(s)?

These are chosen randomly and will be your numbers for the duration of your membership of our lottery. When you enter the lottery you will be sent your unique lottery number(s) by email.

Can I amend my account details?

We are looking to develop a fully interactive site which will allow players to access and amend their individual player accounts. We hope this additional functionality will be available in 2018, however in the meantime to amend your details please contact Sterling Lotteries our Lottery provider on 0370 050 5893 or via email.

How old do I have to be to enter?

The law states that lottery tickets must not be sold to, or by, those under the age of 16. In accordance with our license we must abide by this law. The Gambling Commission has published codes of practice which help to ensure gambling is operated in a responsible manner. For further information on the Gambling Commission and the Gambling Act, please visit www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk

How can I stop playing?

What is self-exclusion and how can I do it?

We operate a self-exclusion scheme. Self-exclusion means asking us, as a gambling provider, to exclude you from gambling with us for a specified period (a minimum of six months). Please note you must take positive action and contact us in order to self-exclude. If you require any further information about our self-exclusion policy please click here. If you would like to speak to someone about self-exclusion please contact us at 0370 050 5893 or via email to rafsports@sterlinglotteries.co.uk. Please also note that software is available to prevent an individual computer from accessing gambling internet sites – for further information see GambleAware – Self Exclusion.

What are the lottery terms and conditions?

The lottery terms and conditions are a list of rules we adhere to in order to ensure clarity and understanding around the terms of your entry into our lottery. You can find the terms and conditions here.

Can you guarantee the lottery is fair?

Yes, every £1 entry has an equal chance of winning, and the winning numbers are drawn at random.

What is responsible gambling?

Responsible gambling means staying in control of how much time and money we spend on gambling. Responsible gambling means not spending more money or time than we can reasonably afford on gambling activities, keeping in mind all our other responsibilities in life.

I think I may have a problem with gambling, how can I get help?

If you have questions or concerns about your own gambling, or about that of a friend or family member, we recommend you get in touch with the National Gambling Helpline on Freephone 0808 8020 133.

The Royal Air Force Central Fund is a company registered in England and Wales 8555984, Charity registered in England and Wales 1152560, Charity registered in Scotland SC044299.

The Royal Air Force Sports Lottery operates as a society lottery within the Royal Air Force Central Fund and is licensed and regulated by the Gambling Commission under licence numbers 000-005199-N-305452-012 and 000-005199-R-322422-002. This licence is currently active and can be viewed online here.